How Alao-Akala Acquired 7,000 Acres of land in Ibadan – Deacon Adekunle

The popularly known OYATO Governor was an exemplary leader in Ogbomoso. I remember clearly when he did the housewarming of his four-flat duplex and a four-bedroom bungalow at Rounda, Ogbomoso, in 1987, properties that still remain the family house till today.

I also remember when his first wife, who was a wine importer in Apongbon market, organized a surprise 40th birthday party for him at their Iponri residence in 1990. His Ibadan residence, it is also well known, was a gift from the late Chief Arisekola Alao, who was concerned that a sitting governor should have a property in Ibadan.

So, is it not expected that a man who built a house as far back as 1987 would accumulate properties over the years he lived?
Even more concerning is that most of the properties being listed today do not even exist.

The folly of a single unverified story cannot erase the legacy of the man called Adebayo. The hearts he touched can never see a different Adebayo. It is therefore of no consequence when people, without depth of thought, read a story claiming that a man owns 7,000 acres of land in a city and choose to believe such propaganda and lies.

How many acres make up the whole of Ibadan North-West that one man would possess it and no one would know?

A superficial list that describes properties using only landmarks, with no verifiable addresses, is nothing but guesswork, driven by people who seek to create strife. Indeed, the heart of man can be wicked.

Adebayo will forever be loved and remembered in the hearts of many. And if an estranged daughter chooses to use lawyers and the media to drag her father’s name in the mud, it only reinforces the fact that she was not raised by him and remains estranged.
May we never have children who attempt to destroy our legacy over material things.

If you attended his burial, or if you still hear how leaders and clerics across Oyo State continue to reference his good works, then you will understand that he did not live a vain life but a life of true significance.